On April Fools Day 2002 I set out to record a simple DJ mix for some friends. Things got a little out of hand and I ended up with a marathon four hour mix spanning all the cool tracks that I was playing at the very beginning of this century. Other sections of the mix will be posted on Mixcloud as well, so look for ‘em. Enjoy!
Our good friends at Stompy.com have just released a digital compilation album to coincide with the beginning of the new year. The purpose of the compilation is to highlight the many styles of house music that can be found on Stompy, and most of the tracks are, until now, unreleased. In addition to cool cuts by the likes of DJ Sneak, Johnny Fiasco, Radio Slave, Random Soul, and Lance De Sardi there is an exclusive track by your pal Q-Burns Abstract Message.
The best part about this is it’s totally free. It won’t cost you anything to check out & download these tracks. Convinced? Click HERE. The compilation is only available for a few weeks so be sure to grab it soon.
A little bit about my track on this compilation, titled “Melodica” : it’s a techy and atmospheric house track that I recorded in the early 2000s as the lead cut on an EP for the NYC label Fiji Recordings. Unfortunately, Fiji fell victim to the plague that caused many vinyl labels to close down in the first half of the decade. Thus, this track sat unnoticed and unplayed on an errant hard drive for many years. Its original inspiration was my purchase of a melodica, an instrument that can be heard on classic recordings by artists as diverse as Augustus Pablo and New Order. I think the track still sounds pretty contemporary, and has worked well for the dancefloor in recent sets where I’ve played it out. There are 2 other unheard tracks from the same session (which were also to be part of the Fiji Recordings EP) … I’ll also release those for free in the next couple months so stay tuned.
In the late 90’s I did a 2 month US tour with the Icelandic band GusGus. This was my first big tour, doing shows every other night, living on the tour bus, the whole deal. Good fun. A year or so later the second GusGus album This Is Normal was released and my newfound friends in the band asked me to remix the track “V.I.P.” Here’s the result:
GusGus – VIP (Q-Burns Abstract Message Remix) by Q-Burns Abstract Message
A few fun facts (to me, at least) about this remix: I had just discovered the program Metasynth and the repeating sound loop that opens this is the vocal line manipulated through that. This mix started my predilection with recording fake stand-up bass lines which I still sort of have to this day (see my “Mouth” remix from a couple weeks ago). The second part of the mix was meant to be a ‘bonus beats’ version but it’s timed so it can be played as an epilogue to the actual mix (and appears like this on the UK vinyl version). When I later did my live shows (on the Meat Beat Manifesto and Lo-Fidelity All Stars tours) I would usually do this ‘bonus beats’ bit as the last song of my set. The weird little ambient ‘crackling’ noises that are on this mix (and pretty much all my remixes from this period) are from a preset on a Roland JX-8P that was purchased from Dave Allen (of Shriekback/Gang Of Four fame).
I don’t think this was ever released digitally … as far as I know it’s vinyl only, folks. The UK 12″ version with my mix complete with bonus beats can be found on Discogs.com HERE. There was also a US version which has the shorter version of the mix, sans bonus beats, which you can find HERE. This second 12″ is quite the curiosity in my career as I share remix credits with Francois K. and Masters At Work. So cool.
I’m still in touch with some of the members of GusGus. Their new album, titled 24/7, is quite good.
The 8DPromoRadio show is changing its name to Invisible Airwaves. With the change, the format of the show will bend to focus more on the mix and flow, making each episode more like a new 2 hour Q-Burns Abstract Message DJ set.
Here’s the first one. Cool tracks within that I’ve been enjoying this month. I hope you like it.
Just released is a somewhat dreamy remix I produced for San Francisco duo Cubik & Origami, of a cool track titled “Bought & Sold.” I’ve always liked Origami’s vocals (check him out on the EIGHT-TRACKS single “Beyond The LIne” by clicking HERE) so I was well up for this remix project.
I basically just used the vocal hook, repeated, and a couple of synth pads from the original. I wanted a bayou-like flow to define the track, to give an aural impression of calmly reaching some destination. The mid-section is a bit I’m particularly happy with … it’s quite the patient build. I’ve had some DJs tell me this part can be a bit frustrating but, trust me: try it on a loud system with a dancefloor inhabiting the deeper zone and the track is quite effective. Have a listen here:
Cubik And Origami – Bought & Sold (Q-Burns Abstract Message Remix) by Q-Burns Abstract Message
This is out now on Prismatic Tracks, exclusively available via Beatport. It will be reaching a more general release in a few weeks.
The January episode of my 8DPromoRadio show is airing this week. This one came out really good and there are quite a few special selections within my two hour mix. If you’d like to tune in to have a listen then here are the times & places:
Sunday, January 10 at 9:00 PM EST on Enation.FM
Monday, January 11 at 8:00 PM EST on Mixology Radio
Tuesday, January 12 at 12:00 noon EST on Play.FM and 9:00 PM EST on Discotheque Radio
If you miss the show then the stations will be repeating it throughout the month. Play.FM will also have the show available on demand after its first airing. I’ll also be posting the mix to my Mixcloud page towards the end of the month.
Remix Wednesdays return for 2010 with this manic re-work of the Iz & Diz anthem “Mouth.” It’s a remix in two parts … we’ve got the opening bit which consists entirely of Diz’s mouth sounds (save for the main drum part), then we get the “Let’s start over” part replicating some otherworldly timpani/vibraphone jazz and possibly my favorite bassline that I’ve played. Not sure of the overall concept here, but it all seems to work and, if you couldn’t tell, I remain a bit enthusiastic about it. This track also makes me wonder if Diz had this book when he was a kid like I did.
Iz & Diz – Mouth (Q-Burns Abstract Message Remix) by Q-Burns Abstract Message
Yes indeed … say “Sayounara!” to 2009 and bring on 2010 as we celebrate on the rooftop at SkySixty under the stars, here in Orlando. I’ll be supplying a specially selected potpourri of funky tunes and party sounds for the entire evening. Champagne specials all night, and good times all around. 21 and up / $10 cover. We’ll see you there!
An eclectic mix experiment journeying though housey, techy, and disco-y sounds. Enjoy!
Yep, here’s hoping you and yours has a fantastic holiday season. I’m really looking forward to 2010 … there’s so much in store right off the bat.
Here’s some Xmas remix action to listen to as you toke on the yule log:
Johnny Mercer With The Pied Pipers – Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (Q-Burns Abstract Message Remix)  by Q-Burns Abstract Message
Bobby Helms – Jingle Bell Rock (Q-Burns Abstract Message Remix)  by Q-Burns Abstract Message